This invention relates generally to location reporting apparatus and methods. More particularly, this invention relates to location reporting apparatus and methods that use the Global Positioning Satellite System (xe2x80x9cGPSxe2x80x9d) to ascertain an object""s location. Even more particularly, this invention relates to location reporting apparatus and methods that are triggerable and that report their location derived from GPS signals, via telemetry.
Frequently, people use credit to purchase consumer items, such as automobiles, televisions or computers. The purchasers take possession of the item and take it to their homes or offices and put them into use. They are responsible for making periodic payments to the creditor, the person or entity that extended the credit, to pay off the loan. The creditor retains a lien on the property and is also known as a xe2x80x9clien-holderxe2x80x9d.
In today""s mobile society, people frequently move from one location to another. When they move, they typically take their possessions, including those possessions covered by a lien held by the lien-holder. Sometimes when they move they stop making their periodic payments to the lien-holder, perhaps believing that they no longer have to make payments and that the lien-holder will not be able to locate them.
Further, some people simply move a possession, such as an automobile, covered by a lien, in order to hide it from the lien-holder when they stop making payments.
In either case, the lien-holder is faced with having to locate and take possession of the item covered by the lien. At times, such a process can be expensive, time consuming, and even dangerous, requiring the lien-holder to hire investigators to locate the debtor and, hopefully, the item covered by the lien.
Stolen items present a similar challenge. In the case of automobiles, thieves can steal a car, take it to a xe2x80x9cchop shopxe2x80x9d, or a specially outfitted body shop where the automobile is dismantled into salable parts in just a few hours. The traditional response to an automobile theft is to report the theft to the police who then do their best to find the automobile before it is dismantled.
Other consumer items can be dismantled or otherwise placed into an underground market within just a few hours of their theft. Alternatively, such items can be removed to the thief""s home, where they are hidden from the eyes of the police or other investigators.
Even people are subject to being xe2x80x9cstolenxe2x80x9d, or kidnapped. Again, the traditional response is to report a missing person to the police and other law enforcement agencies who then conduct a search for the missing person.
Upon receipt of a page or the occurrence of another triggering action, the invention determines its location using GPS signals and reports the location via cellular or satellite telemetry. The telemetry is routed to a service provider, which takes an appropriate action, such as informing the lien-holder of the location of the object covered by the lien.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a triggerable location-reporting apparatus comprising a trigger signal, a GPS processor coupled to the trigger signal, a position signal carrying position information generated by the GPS processor in response to the trigger signal, a telemetry transmitter coupled to the position signal, and a telemetry transmit signal transmitted by the telemetry transmitter, the telemetry transmit signal carrying the position information.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. The apparatus may include a power supply connection, a first switchable power signal coupled to the GPS processor and the power supply connection, and a second switchable power signal coupled to the telemetry transmitter and the power supply connection. The apparatus may include a controller configured to switch on and off the first switchable power signal and the second switchable power signal. The apparatus may include a power supply coupled to the power supply connection. The power supply may comprise a battery, a solar cell or a vehicle battery. The page receiver, GPS processor and telemetry transmitter may be housed in a housing. The housing may be configured to be installed in a vehicle. The housing may comprise at least a portion of an article of clothing. The housing may be configured to be installed in an object to be tracked. The telemetry transmitter may comprise a cellular telemetry transmitter. The telemetry transmitter may comprise a satellite telemetry transmitter, a cellular telephone, or a radio-telephone. The trigger signal source may comprise a page receiver, the trigger signal activating when the page receiver receives a page. The trigger signal source may comprise an alarm or a remote control.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method for reporting a location for an object comprising receiving a page; determining, in response to the page, the location of the object using GPS signals; transmitting the location of the object via telemetry.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. The method may include applying power to a GPS receiver and a cellular telemetry transmitter upon receipt of the page, and disconnecting power from the GPS receiver and the cellular telemetry transmitter upon transmission of the location of the object. The method may include receiving the transmitted location at a gateway and communicating the transmitted location to a service provider. The method may include transmitting the location of the object via cellular telemetry or via satellite telemetry. The method may include determining if the object is moving and continuing to transmit the location of the object while it is moving. The method may include storing the location of the object and transmitting the stored location of the object if the ability to determine location ceases.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a triggerable location-reporting apparatus comprising a location-signal generating device and a telemetry transmitter coupled to the location-signal generating device. The apparatus may comprise a GPS processor. The apparatus may comprise a page receiver and a page signal generated by the page receiver and coupled to the GPS processor. The GPS processor may generate the location signal in response to the page signal. Power may be withheld from the GPS processor until the apparatus receives a page. Power may be withheld from the telemetry transmitter until the apparatus receives a page. The telemetry transmitter may comprise a cellular telemetry transmitter or a satellite telemetry transmitter.